How do I add search filters?

After 8 months of frustration with Win 7 and search  I finally spent several hours researching the topic. As a summary these seem to be the most useful sources of information:

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/winfamily/desktopsearch/technicalresources/advquery.mspx

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa965711%28VS.85%29.aspx

http://tenmov.es/2009/11/07/how-to-search-in-windows-seven/

By way of adding something to the thread another solution that I've been using is to use Win 7's "XP mode" (XP virtual machine) to search the disc, which is substantially faster than searching in Win 7 in nonindexed locations. By using the XP VM you can just forget about having to use Win 7's search.

Why oh why oh why Win 7 just greys out the search filter options and there's no listing of the options in Win 7 help is utterly beyond me.

When trying to search I click in the search field in my file explorer window. I see "Add a search filter" and a couple options below that "Date Modified" &  "Size" that I can select. How do I add more "clickable" search filters? I can only select those two filters. How do I add more to select?

Try reading this article it was very helpful...

http://tenmov.es/2009/11/07/how-to-search-in-windows-seven/

This is probably what you're looking for: http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_7-files/how-do-i-add-search-filters/e84f8397-aa0b-44f3-b8b2-a094a84e7aa0?page=1[http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa965711%28VS.85%29.aspx](http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa965711%28VS.85%29.aspx)  I found it a while back in a fit of desperation.

The Advanced Query Syntax (AQS) is used by WDS to help users and programmers better define and narrow their searches. Using AQS is an easy way to narrow searches and deliver better result sets. Searches can be narrowed by the following parameters:

• File kinds: folders, documents, presentations, pictures and so on.
• File stores: specific databases and locations.
• File properties: size, date, title and so on.
• File contents: keywords like "project deliverables," "AQS," "blue suede shoes," and so on.

miriam

I don't see how to find a file that contains "this phrase" here: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/winfamily/desktopsearch/technicalresources/advquery.mspx

I used to use the XP "search dog" to find files that contain a word or two (not in the filename, but inside the file).

But now I lost my dog.  And I can't find my file either.

I don't know if it is a best practice but ik works (if content to find is in an indexed location*) :

1. Open Windows Explorer
2. Go to the (indexed*) location where you want to start a search
3. Type you keywords in the search box :

content:myword

(if more than 1 word => content:"your key words" )

4. optionnally Add (or Type) other criteria and start the search

for example, I tried with : content:sharepoint kind:=document type:=docx

* First, my location was in a non indexed folder on the network => Right click, then choose "Always available offline" (in order to index this network location) and finally wait a few minutes (indexing can take some minutes, depending on the folder size) ... it works :-)